The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn

Author:Carola Dunn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2012-04-24T16:00:00+00:00

10

Daisy was dismayed, if not surprised, to hear Bobbie knew all about her brother’s affair with Grace. However, at present she was more concerned with Sebastian. From her corner seat she couldn’t see his face, but he sounded alarmingly distraught.

She was relieved to hear Alec say, “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Parslow. That will be all for now, though we shall have to take a formal statement and I may have more questions for you later.”

Swiftly she crossed the room. “You look as if you could do with a bracer, Sebastian. Shall I ring for Moody?” She put a hand on his shoulder as he started to stand up.

Subsiding, he shook his head and managed a travesty of a smile. “No, thanks. I’m all right. It’s just all been rather a shock. To tell the truth I’d forgotten you were there. I’m afraid I must have shocked you, too.”

“Not at all,” she said kindly. “I’m no wishy-washy Victorian damozel, thank heaven.”

Alec’s eyes laughed at her. “I shall need a word with you, Miss Dalrymple,” he said, “about the discovery of the body.”

“Of course. You stay here, Sebastian, and don’t put the game away. I’ll beat you honestly yet. Shall we go to the library, Chief Inspector?”

“Ben’s in the library—Ben Goodman, my father’s secretary—writing some letters for my mother.”

“That will do very well,” Alec said. “Since the rest of your family is out, I might as well speak to him right away.”

“To Ben?” Sebastian lost what little colour he had regained. “You don’t need to tell him all I’ve told you, do you?”

Alec raised his fearsome eyebrows. “I don’t imagine so. My business is collecting information, not distributing it. Miss Dalrymple?” He opened the door and held it for her, closing it firmly behind them as they went out into the Long Hall. They walked slowly towards the library.

“I knew it,” said Daisy, “though I didn’t expect him to cave in so quickly and admit it.”

“You quite shocked him by not being shocked. You don’t care for ‘The Blessed Damozel,’ I take it.”

“Of all the ghastly sentimental tripe we had to learn at school, that took the biscuit.” She hoped Michael wasn’t drooping around Heaven weeping for her to join him. No, he wasn’t that sort. He’d have found some way to make himself useful and he’d be wishing her a long and happy life.

“I had quite a shock myself,” Alec said. “I wish you’d warned me about Parslow’s looks!”

“You did rather gape when you came in.” Daisy giggled. “But I don’t suppose he noticed. He’s not at all vain.”

“He had other things on his mind when he heard a policeman announced. You didn’t warn me he was such a jellyfish, either.”

“Oh, not quite that bad, though he’s wetter than I thought. But I did tell you he lets Lady Valeria boss him about.”

“So, I gather, does half the county.”

“And that Bobbie tries to protect him. Ben, too.”

“Can he possibly believe Goodman doesn’t know Grace was his mistress?”

Daisy frowned. “I don’t see how he can.

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